Pinky Promise
by JayTheBird
Summary: My first fanfiction and my take on how Sonic and Tails first met one another. This is going to be a three-chapter story. Rated T just to be on the safe side. Please, only constructive criticism.
1. Chapter 1

**Alright so this is my very first fanfiction story and only here to figure out if I can do this yes or no. I remember watching Sonic when I was little and I totally love all the fanfiction stories on this website. I haven't played the games sadly, just watched a show or two. Please, don't be angry if I screwed some details up in this story, or when they don't line up with the original idea of Sega. Just tell me. I like learning. Do the same with my language. I think my English is decent, but I'm not a native speaker.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't even own a game, let alone the characters.**

 **Enjoy!**

Part 1

"Great job, Sonic," a cobalt blue hedgehog mumbles to himself. Dejectedly he glances at the smoking bi-plane in front of him, heaving a sigh. He wants to hit the stupid pile of metal in front of him, but his toe is already throbbing steadily because of the kick he delivered to the side of the plane.

'Alright', he decides. 'Enough with the pouting already.' So yeah, maybe he should have listened to the rabbit who sold him the plane a little better and taken a full course on how to fly from a licenced pilot. On the other hand, that licenced pilot would probably have told him he should wait till he would be eighteen years old and if there is one thing Sonic isn't good at, it's waiting. Especially not since he got this extreme discount on the bi-plane for saving the rabbit's workshop from being squashed by a legion of Badniks.

To Sonic, it felt like the perfect opportunity to try a new mode of transportation, and after a couple of lessons on how to fly the rather simple airplane, he got excited. And when Sonic gets excited, simple details like him knowing next to nothing about technology and airplane-maintenance, were simply ignored.

And here he is now: stranded on an island he doesn't know, on a beach that seems to be deserted, with a plane he can barely fly. He still doesn't know why the bi-plane started to smoke from what he guesses, should be the engine. Wait, do airplanes have engines? And if they do, are they called engines?

Anyway, Sonic is glad he decided to land when he did. He could've crashed. And even though trying to get out of an airplane-crash unscathed when you're flying at least 10.000 feet sounds like a lot of fun to the adrenaline-addicted hedgehog, doing so while flying over an ocean isn't something he would like to try out yet. After all, he has tried and perfected a lot of crazy stunts and manoeuvres over the years, but learning how to swim has never been one of them.

"Ugh, I guess I should see if I can find a mechanic on this island somewhere," Sonic tells himself out loud. "I'm pretty sure I saw a town somewhat to the left when I flew over this place. It can't be that far."

With that he takes off with a speed that could sent him around the island five times over in less than five minutes. And even though the young speed-devil considers the speed only a slight jog, he goes fast enough to miss the movement of bushes nearby the place where he crash-landed.

* * *

Hours later the hedgehog returns to the beach, his arms filled with stuff he absolutely doesn't need for the repairs of the bi-plane. However, when he sees two yellow tails poking up from the cockpit of his plane, he drops his armload of chilidogs and soda cans to the ground.

"Hey!" he shouts, startling the figure messing with his aircraft. Within seconds a yellow blur jumps out of the cockpit, trying to make his way back into the woods with a couple of technological trinkets from Sonic's plane.

Sonic smirks slightly. Sure, most Mobians would consider this yellow-furred thief quick on his feet, but nothing moves too fast for him, the fastest thing alive. Sonic sprints to the place he saw the thief disappearing into the bushes and quickly gains up on the other Mobian. The bright fur-colour doesn't do the thief much good either.

As soon as the pursuit started, it comes to an end. Sonic manages to trip the uninvited guest by tackling him to the ground with his super speed. He hears a loud wail, followed by a high-pitched growl.

Sonic isn't impressed but backs up slightly to get a better look at the Mobian he has been chasing. To his surprise, it's just a child. A young, yellow and white fox cub with, strangely enough, two tails. The kid has sky blue eyes which inspect Sonic thoroughly. There is a guarded expression on the fox's face, his two tails move back and forth nervously and the small body is tense in anticipation on Sonic's next move.

"Uh, hi kid," the hedgehog tries awkwardly. He isn't sure if the boy can even talk or is a feral like their ancestors once were. The fox doesn't look put together like most Mobians do; he isn't even wearing any clothes. But on the other hand he does walk and run on his hind legs, and seems to be smart enough to not only know how to steal, but also understand what he is doing.

"Hi," the fox replies, a little unsure. Okay, so not a feral. Ferals never talk.

"You want to try and explain to me why you have stolen from my plane?"

"I didn't steal," the fox squeaks, slowly moving backwards a bit. Sonic lets him, leaning back a little as well to stop crowding the boy. The distance between them, even though it's just a couple of feet, allows the fox to relax despite himself.

"I just wanted to look at them. I promise. I was going to put them back," he explains himself.

Sonic's arm reaches a little closer again, meaning to reach for the fallen remote-like object the cub had lying next to him. Immediately the fox's ears go flat against his skull, his head ducking low against his chest. His tails quickly wrap around him, as if to ward off a chill. A whimper escapes his lips.

Sonic moves back, slower this time, and doesn't take his eyes of the fox for even a minute. 'Okay, so this is kind of strange,' the hedgehog thinks to himself. 'Why is he acting like I'm going to smack him into next Thursday? I don't look that threatening, right?'

"'M really sorry," the ball of fluff mumbles softly, keeping his head low and his tails wrapped around him tightly. He is trembling. Sonic bites his lip, worrying it while he decides what to do to calm the kid down.

"Hey, little Two-Tail, don't worry about it. You can play with those gizmos if you want to, but don't just go running of with them, okay? I think I kind of need them still."

It takes a couple of moments, but eventually the fox crawls back out of his shell. Or his yellow fuzz-fortress more like it. Tails slowly move from around the fox and lay next to him on the forest floor. Sky blue eyes look into serpent green ones curiously.

"You're nice," he says softly, surprised, and his eyes narrow in thought as if he's trying to figure something out. "And you're not from here either. Do you have food?"

Sonic blinks a couple of times, a little taken aback by that question. Only then he notices how small and fragile the cub in front of him actually looks. Some lose tufts of hair are clinging to the fox's tiny body because of matted fur. And because there isn't any reason for the fox to be losing hair this time of the year anyway, Sonic knows the amount of lose hair the kid is covered with is due to malnutrition. Affirming his suspicion is a tiny, yellow arm, shaking with fatigue, and desperately trying to support the weight the fox puts on it. The fox's face almost seems hollow, the fur on the cheeks the only thing giving a bit of shape to the, what should be round and chubby cheeks. All-in-all, the kid looks famished.

"I think the chilidogs I just got for lunch are a bit soiled right now," Sonic says, smirking a little to put the fox at ease. "I kind of dropped them without thinking. Ears pull back again, blue eyes dimming in disappointment.

"But hey, if you'll go back to the plane and put all my stuff back, I can get some more. Is that okay?"

Again the fox needs some time to weigh his options. Never has Sonic seen such a thoughtful and serious child before and the lack of trust the cub displays, has the blue hedgehog a little worried. But before he can think too much of it, shiny blue eyes meet his again. The fox's muzzle transforms into a teeny-tiny but giddy smile.

"Okay!"

 **Alright so if you liked this, please tell me. This is only part one, I guess there are going to be three or so. I'll update part two tomorrow I think. If people think this is okayish, or at least has potential, I'll think of writing more fanfics. This is just a try-out. Please no flames, only tips! - Jay**


	2. Chapter 2

Part 2

It couldn't have taken Sonic more than fifteen minutes to get to the town and back, now that he knew where to go. But when he returns to the beach, he wishes that he hadn't left in such a hurry. On the beach, next to where he dumped his lunch about half an hour ago, is the little fox kid, retching violently.

At first, Sonic is a bit hesitant to go near the child. But when the tiny body starts trembling and tears steadily drip down the fox's face, he places a reassuring hand on the furred back. He gently shushes the boy when he starts to dry-heave and slowly pulls him away from the throw-up.

"Are you alright, Two-Tail?"

Coughing a little, all the fox can do is shake his head. "They just tasted so good," he mumbles quietly, taking a couple of sips from the can of soda Sonic passes him. Soda probably isn't the best you can give a kid that just threw up, but it's all Sonic has at the moment and it should get rid of the vile taste left in the fox's mouth.

"Do you have any idea how you got this sick all of the sudden?"

The fox bites his lip nervously, ducking his head again. Instead of wrapping his tails around himself, like he did before, he twists them around each other anxiously.

"C'mon kid, I won't get mad. Promise."

"I uhm… I ate the lunch you left behind," the child eventually answers. "I haven't been eating that much lately, and they really smelled good. I already was a little nauseous after the first one but I wanted more so badly so… Sometimes stuff like this happens when I'm really hungry. I eat so much it all comes out again. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have even touched them."

Sonic thinks he understands what the boy is telling him. The fox is small, his stomach probably can't handle three chilidogs all at once. He also wasn't that long gone, so the kid must have all but inhaled them, which shouldn't be that good on an empty belly.

"It's okay, Two-Tail, it isn't your fault. You were just hungry. Here."

Sonic stands up, pulling the fox cub up with him. He walks him over to where the bi-plane is and sits the boy down again, this time in the shade of one of the wings.

"Now just stay put for a moment. I think there's still a couple of packages of crackers inside the cockpit. I think your tummy can handle those much better than those chilidogs," Sonic explains while rummaging through the few items he has in the storage compartment of the plane. As soon as he finds the crackers he had packed as a snack for on the way, he jumps back down again.

Moments later the duo sits in a companionable silence, munching on their food underneath the bi-plane wing. Apparently his earlier bout of sickness has done nothing to the fox's appetite since the crackers are devoured within seconds. Sonic waits another couple of minutes before giving him another package, just to be sure. It's clear that the fox has absolutely no self-control around food.

"What's your name actually?" the fox eventually asks, happily chewing on another cracker. He doesn't even complain about the lame taste of dry crackers, or lack thereof. He eats them like a normal child would eat a big bag of chips.

"It's Sonic," the blue hedgehog answers proudly. "Sonic the Hedgehog."

There is a hint of recognition shining in the blue eyes of the fox, but he doesn't mention it. Sonic guesses that the boy has heard of him, but isn't sure how to react to being in the presence of a hero. He smirks, remembering occasions in which girls basically made a fool of themselves while fawning all over him.

"Well, thank you, Sonic. For everything. I appreciate it."

The fox slowly stands up, groaning because of protesting muscles and bruises so dark the hedgehog can see them through the kid's fur. He has noticed them before but wasn't too bothered by them then because the kid wasn't. Apparently they still cause him pain though.

"Got somewhere to be, Two-Tail?" Sonic asks as the cub starts trudging away. The fox stops in his tracks, but it takes him another full minute to finally turn his head around to show Sonic the sheepish look on his face.

"Not really," he admits. It's all Sonic needs to know. This kid is homeless, if that wasn't obvious enough yet, and doesn't seem to have anyone kind enough to at least give him some scraps of food every once in a while. On top of that, Sonic has the eerie feeling that the injuries marking the young fox were inflicted by _a person_. Another Mobian. Maybe not even just one.

He shakes his head. Nothing he can do about that now. The least he can do at the moment though, is be kind to the cub.

"Then why won't you stay here a little longer? I'll even let you play around with this remote-thingy if you do."

He grabs the piece of technology the kid had been so enthralled with earlier and holds it up in front of him teasingly, a smirk on his face.

"You know you wanna," he sing-songs a little, swinging the remote back and forth like he wants to lure the child in.

For a moment, the kid freezes, his eyes squeezing shut. But when nothing happens, and Sonic doesn't make another move besides dropping the smirk and replacing it with an easy-going smile, the fox turns around fully.

"It's a walkie-talkie."

"Really?" Sonic has another look at the black, rectangular box in his hand. He pushes a couple of buttons but nothing seems to be happening. "Never really seen one before. How'd you know, Two-Tail?"

The kid strolls over again, kneeling next to Sonic as he shyly holds his hand out. Sonic places the walkie-talkie in the boy's palm and watches as the kid works the device.

"I've read about them in a book. There are really awesome books in the library in town about all sorts of stuff. Some are about airplanes too. I like those the most." The boy's eyes seem to light up when he mentions his favourite subject.

Sonic wants to ask him further on the library the kid seems so fond of, but doesn't get the chance. The boy goes into a full-blown explanation mode, the tone of his voice rising together with his excitement.

"It's important that you never use a walkie-talkie while flying a plane. Not that it would make sense because it is impossible to make a connection to someone on the ground while being so high. But it's also very dangerous because the radiowaves the walkie-talkie uses to make contact with its counterpart can disturb the airplane's radiowaves as well. When that happens, the communication with other aircrafts or a nearby airport can be jammed."

Sonic smiles, not daring to interrupt. Who knew the fox could be such a chatter-box?

"Aren't you a little young to know all this, though?" he eventually asks, watching the boy work his magic on a small laptop-like device. The walkie-talkie obviously wasn't interesting enough to play with.

"I guess. People often say I'm too smart for my own good. That's why I don't go to school anymore."

Again, Sonic wonders if there is more behind what the fox is telling him. He doesn't want to pry though.

"How old are you anyway," he asks instead.

The fox smiles at him but doesn't answer. Eventually he shrugs timidly. "I don't know. I can't even remember when I lost my mommy and daddy and after that I've always been alone. No one knows my birthday."

Now that is just sad, the hedgehog thinks, but he doesn't voice it out loud. The boy in front of him should be around seven or eight years old, he guesses, but it's hard to be sure. The kid looks way smaller than your average eight-year-old, which is obviously due to the malnourishment. On the other hand, his eyes, and his mouth basically, speak of knowledge, wisdom and experience far beyond his years. Which doesn't have to be a good thing per se, Sonic figures. The things he himself has seen in his fifteen short years of life, would be enough to scar most adults for the rest of their lives.

"How were you able to go to school then, if you don't live anywhere?"

"The teacher there was okay with that. She said I could always come if I wanted to. I think she liked me because I'm smart. But the other kids were really nasty and it wasn't like I still needed to learn how to read and write and all. The library lady already taught me that."

Sonic stays quiet for a little while, letting it all sink in. One thought that keeps mulling around in his head is: this kid doesn't have anything here. And it reminds him of himself when he left the orphanage after his first battle with Eggman. He left that place without anything to miss or any reason to ever return.

"Wow, little Two-Tail, that's quite a story," Sonic mumbles, a little unsure what else to say. The fox seems comfortable enough, sharing all of this information with the hedgehog while tinkering with the mechanical devices strewn around him in the sand. But that doesn't mean Sonic feels any less awkward. Shouldn't he say something comforting now? Come with a solution for the kid?

Luckily for him, the fox saves him from any embarrassing moves.

"Why do you keep calling me Two-Tail?"

Blue eyes look up to him and Sonic is glad the kid's voice doesn't seem to hold any accusation. He sounds genuinely curious.

"I don't know," the hedgehog admits. "You never really told me your name. What do you want me to call you?"

The fox shrugs, adverting his gaze back to the sand. His hands still from where they previously fumbled with a couple of wires in the back of yet another technological appliance the Sonic doesn't know the name of.

"I don't care. I don't like my real name though. It's stupid and people make fun of me for it. But could you maybe not call me Two-Tail either? I don't really want to be reminded of _that_ genetic mistake."

"What do you mean, _mistake_?" Sonic interrupts, maybe a little too fast. The bitterness with which the kid talks about his tails really ticks him off though. It reminds me of himself when he was still stuck in the orphanage. When he got out there, he promised himself he would never try to paint his blue quills brown ever again. Or try to play tag at a _normal_ speed.

"They're just tails," he goes on, trying to not scare the kid with the misplaced anger in his voice. "There is nothing wrong with being a little different. Especially not when it is about something as stupid as an extra limb."

"It makes me a mutant," the fox counters, meeting Sonic's gaze with something defiant the hedgehog hasn't seen from him yet. He's glad to see the kid still has some fire inside of him. He just needs to get him to believe a little more in himself.

"So? Who cares you're a mutant. Last I checked, mutants are the reason the Mobian race even exists nowadays. Just because you are born looking a little different, that doesn't it's okay you're treated like you're nothing. No, it's even worse than that! They know you're starving, they know it when they hurt you. They're punishing you and you did nothing wrong."

Subconsciously, the cub rubs at a particular bad bruise on his upper arm. Sonic has been injured enough times in battles with Eggman to know that a bruise like that isn't caused by a simple swing of a fist. They attacked the kid with weapons.

"But you think me having two tails is okay?" the boy asks, needing the validation even after everything Sonic has said and done so far.

"I think they're just fine," the hedgehog reassures as gently as he can. "And you know what? I'm going to prove it to you. I'm going to make you like your tails the way you should. You gotta wear those with pride buddy, you shouldn't hide them."

The fox stares at him doubtfully and maybe a little dumbstruck.

"Tell you what," Sonic starts, placing a hand on the fox's shoulder so he has the boy's full attention. "People didn't like my speed either when I was young. They told me it made me weird, that it made me different. A mutant, like you."

The fox listens intently, a little hope shining through that he finally found something that _understands_. And Sonic does. He knows what the rejection feels like, but even more importantly, he knows what a little self-esteem can do for a person. What it can change. He is determined to show this boy just that.

"Oh well," he laughs a little for the boy's sake. "I think they were just jealous that I always beat them in tag and dodgeball. The point is, I didn't really like my speed because of what those kids told me. I even tried to slow down for them because I was ashamed of who I was. But nothing of that mattered when our home got attacked. My speed gave me a huge advantage against Egghead and his stupid robots. That's why I started calling myself Sonic, after a sonic boom, you know? Thanks to my speed, I can help people. I can be a hero."

When Sonic is done and looks back at the kid, his gaze is met with doubtful blue eyes and fidgety fingers. Sonic waits for the cub to sort out his thoughts for a little while; after all he gave the kid a lot to think about. Luckily for him, Mr. Impatient himself, he doesn't have to wait for long. And when the kid speaks up again, he is blown of his socks by surprise.

"I-I… I can do something special too," the fox tells him, whispering like it is a secret. "People say it makes me even weirder than me just being a mutant but since you… you know."

Sonic gives him a nod of understanding. "Show me kid."

The fox stands up and takes a couple of steps away from the plane. At first, he doesn't seem to be doing anything but swinging his tails a little. But then Sonic sees it. He isn't swinging them, he's wrapping them around each other. The tails go faster and faster and after a couple of seconds Sonic can hardly distinguish them from one another. The tails simply blur together in a perfect circle. Just as the blue hedgehog starts to wonder what the point is of the cub twisting and spinning his tails like that, small, furry paws are slowly lifted from the sand. The fox is flying.

"That's just amazing, little guy," Sonic breathes in awe, his mouth agape. And to his own surprise, he is honestly impressed by what the young fox can do. The Two-Tail smiles, dropping back onto the ground. He pants slightly and stretches his left Tail a little. It's obvious he hasn't done this a lot before.

"It's kind of a new trick," the fox tells him excitedly. "I wanted to see if I could use my tails in a good way, you know. So people wouldn't hate my extra one so much. And then I read this thing about helicopters and from one thing came another."

When the fox comes to sit next to him again, Sonic passes him another can of soda. The drink isn't that cool anymore but it should be refreshing enough. It's obvious the flying trick takes a lot out of the fox.

"I can't believe you figured that out all by yourself," Sonic says, smiling at the cub in a friendly way. "And what's even harder to believe is that there is an entire island who doesn't even care. You're a flying fox, you should be a celebrity!"

The kid shrugs again, his cheeks glowing a little red underneath his fur. "Oh well, it's not that special. I mean, you're a celebrity not because of your speed, but because you save people. I haven't done anything worthy of recognition yet."

Sonic thinks about that and eventually comes back to the topic he has been wondering about before.

"Hey Two-Tail?" He still doesn't have anything else to call the fox by, so 'Two-Tail' will have to do for now.

"Yeah?" the cub answers carefully.

"Do you have anywhere to go? I mean, are there any people on this island who are okay with you being around? Who want to give you some food and a roof over your head every once in a while?"

To Sonic's slight disappointment the boy shakes his head. "Well, you have that school teacher I mentioned, and the library lady. They are nice to me. But I don't see my teacher much anymore since I quit school. As for the library lady; her name is Mrs. Edith. She sometimes brings me tea and a cookie when I'm at the library because she knows I'll be really careful around the books and won't make a mess. She also likes talking to me. But at the end of the day…"

"She goes home," Sonic finishes for him. The fox nods.

"She has a husband and children. She likes being with them more than being with me. And her husband doesn't particularly like. Once Mrs. Edith took me home when it was winter and she didn't want me to sleep outside. Her husband got really mad because of that. Said I shouldn't eat the food meant for his family."

"Then why don't you leave this place?" Sonic asks next. "Why won't you leave and try your luck on the mainland?"

The fox chuckles and shakes his head like a parent amused by his children. It makes Sonic feel stupid in a way he never felt before. Normally the people looking or talking to him that way are at least ten years older than he is.

"People like me don't have luck, Sonic. No use in trying to find something you'll never have." It almost sounds depressing, but Sonic guesses that with the life the fox has led so far, he shouldn't expect him to hold onto much hope anymore.

"But that doesn't mean I haven't tried," the boy admits, his smile never wavering.

"The island is big but there isn't much space here because of the woods. There is only the town you've seen and a small harbour. No airport. The only way you leave this island is by boat and after they caught me a couple of times trying to sneak onto delivery boats, they just keep chasing me away from the harbour. Maybe also because I sometimes stole fish there to cook. But anyway, I'm kinda stuck here."

Sonic sighs. He starts to feel really bad for this kid. He didn't have the best childhood himself either. Heck, he is still a child legally. But for him it has always been easy to get away from places he didn't like. He simply runs, never to return again. Sonic doesn't know the meaning of the word 'stuck' and would hate a life in which he wouldn't be able to move on whenever he pleases. To hear about that from this child half his age makes him feel sick to his stomach with pity.

"Well it explains why I couldn't find anyone around here who knows a thing about planes. Or at least has some equipment for it," Sonic thinks out loud, watching the sun sinking into the sea. It hadn't occurred to him before, but he has been sitting here with the fox kid for quite some time. To be honest, he really likes the company for a change.

"Well, I'm tired," Sonic announces, climbing onto one of the airplane's wings to grab the blankets he had brought along. He isn't sure how to ask, but he doesn't like the idea of the fox going back into the wilderness to try and find himself shelter up in a tree or something. Do foxes even sleep in trees? Or do they dig themselves into the ground like hedgehogs?

"Hey Two-Tail?" He finally asks, smiling when the fox reacts to the, what he first thought was an insulting name, without hesitation. It shows of trust. "You want to sleep here? I have an extra blanket. Besides, the weather is perfect to be camping on the beach."

The cub doesn't respond immediately as he silently mules over the question. Sonic lets him figure it out for himself. The suspicion and doubt slowly leave his face, instead leaving bewilderment and gratitude. And maybe just a tiny bit of shyness.

"I-It's going to be colder tonight then it is now, you know. You sure you don't want both your blankets? I have my tails to keep me warm so-."

"Tails?"

"Yeah, my tails. They're really fluffy and-."

Sonic chuckles. "No, I mean you. Capital T. You're fine. I want to share what I have with you because I can see that you need it."

The doubt comes back into those sky blue eyes again. This time the fox starts biting his lip as well. Has someone promised him this before?

"Look, I promise I won't take it away from you. Believe it or not, I actually like having you around. I don't usually get to enjoy good company because I travel too much to make any real friends. So please, stay for a bit."

That seems to do the trick. With only slight hesitation the fox reaches his hand up to grab the blanket from Sonic's hand.

"Thank you," his voice breaks. "Thank you so much.

Sonic smiles. "That's okay, Tails."

He climbs back down from the plane, trying to get himself comfortable on the cooling sand. For now Sonic appreciates the slight chill on his hot skin and doesn't bother to use his blanket yet for anything more than a pillow. The fox follows his example, keeping his eyes on the blue hedgehog the entire time. There is a slight smile tugging at the corner of the fox's lips, like he just can't help it.

"What are you smiling about?" Sonic asks him, grinning back.

The smile only becomes broader, eyes twinkling as if they want to smile too.

"You're Sonic," the fox says, a giggle in his voice. "The fastest thing alive, right?"

Sonic nods, not sure where the kid is coming from. He's been known by that title ever since he first stopped Eggman. Why would the kid bring it up now though?

For a moment the fox closes his eyes, taking in a deep breath and releasing it again. The peace and happiness on his face look, to Sonic, as if the kid has finally solved a difficult puzzle he has been working on for ages. Like he has reached a goal that has taken years for him to accomplish. He looks like he has just done the single thing he wanted to do his entire life.

"Then, if you're Sonic, I can be Tails: The flying fox."

Sonic just can't keep himself together just then. His previous tiredness suddenly disappears again, being replaced by joy-filled energy coursing through is body. He jumps up, fists pumping in the air, like he just won a big race.

"I'm a genius!" he declares loudly, causing the startled and tensed up fox next to him to relax a little. "Of course, Tails! Short, simple, easy to remember and totally fitting."

When his excitement mellows a little, Sonic sits back down again. He puts a gentle hand on the young fox, so the little guy will look him in the eye.

"Are you really okay with that name?"

This time there is no carefully thinking over the subject. No scrunched up brows in thought, or doubtful looks in blue eyes. The boy meets Sonic's gaze dead-on and firmly nods.

"Alright then," Sonic smiles. "From now on you can be Tails until you're okay with telling me your real name."

"I uh… I don't mind giving you my real one," the fox mumbles, then he wrinkles his nose. "You have to promise me though that you'll never say it out loud though. It's stupid."

"Sure, sure, no problem," Sonic appeases the little guy. Honestly he thinks the boy overreacts when it comes to his name. How bad can it be?

Instead of telling the hedgehog his name, the newly dubbed Tails uses his finger to draw the letters into the sand. First, Sonic doesn't get what the boy is so worked up about. Miles isn't that bad of a name now, is it? But after that, just to try the sound of it for a bit, he pronounces the name inside his head. And that's when it clicks. Miles Prower, miles per hour.  
Sonic falls into hysterical laughter.

"It's not funny," the fox whines helplessly, his cheeks turning red again and his lip jutting out in a childish pout. An uneasy feeling starts to churn in the young boy's stomach, but he quickly reminds himself that Sonic isn't laughing _at_ him. At least, not with the intent to hurt him.

"No, not funny, a little co-accidental is all. I mean, can you imagine how suitable that name would have been for _me_?" Tears of laughter stream down the blue hedgehog's face as he continues snickering. Tentatively, Tails chuckles along as well, finally discovering the humour in this whole situation.

Eventually both Mobians quiet down. That's when the younger of the two lets go of a long yawn. By now it has gotten completely dark, safe for a blue streak on the horizon.

"Go to sleep, Tails, you can clearly use some of that. You'll be safe here."

With that, the young, two-tailed fox curls up, clutching the blanket that has been given to him tightly in his hands. While the fox's breathing evens out, Sonic notices a tiny smile that refuses to leave the fox's lips. He copies one onto his own face and joins his new friend into slumber.

 **I hope you enjoyed this. Advise and tips are very much appreciated. I really would like to know if I'm a little good at this or not. -Jay**


	3. Chapter 3

Part 3

When he pries his eyes open, Sonic doesn't know what has woken him up. He is sure it couldn't have been the uncomfortable feeling of grains of sand stuck in his quills, because that happens almost every night he sleeps outside. It also couldn't have been the rays of the morning sun hitting his face, because there hardly are any. Judging from the light in the sky, it can't be any later than five or six in the morning.

Sonic's eyes almost close again, ready for a some more hours of sleep, but then he hears it again. Metal clanging against metal only a couple of feet above his head. He throws off the blanket he had wrapped around himself during the night, and gets up to investigate.

Just like the day before, Sonic's line of vision is met by two twin-tails poking up from the cockpit of his plane. This time, however, Sonic knows better than to startle the boy working, and climbs onto one of the wings instead of jumping. He makes enough sound to make himself noticeable, but not enough to startle the young fox.

"Hey there Tails, you're up early," he starts out casually. Upon hearing his new nickname, Tails turns around and smiles broadly. It's clear the kid is a lot less apprehensive around Sonic now and the blue hedgehog likes it. A curious boy like Tails isn't supposed to fear everyone and everything.

"I know, I always am," Tails answers. "And when I couldn't sleep anymore I wanted to take a look at your plane. You know, to thank you for the food and such. It doesn't look that bad. There's a problem with the cooling systems it seems, so that explains why your engine started smoking. It was overheating. I think I remember how the tubes are supposed to be running down there and if I'm right I can fix this, no problem."

"Of course you can," Sonic mumbles sarcastically, but the fox is oblivious. To Tails, being able to work with machines the way he does is all but normal. He has never been around children his age much, due to being teased and bullied all the time, and hasn't been to school for a couple of years either. It just never occurred to him how much above average his intelligence really is. Of course that's what his parents should have been telling him practically every day, boasting his self-confidence by showering him with compliments. No one has ever done that for Tails.

Sonic is determined to be the first though. He's going to boost Tails' confidence higher than to the moon and back. Heck, even higher than his own.

The yellow fox jumps down from the plane, looking up to Sonic who is still on the wing. "I have some tools lying around somewhere," he explains. "I'm going to grab them, okay?"

"Uh yeah, sure," Sonic answers, a little taken aback. No one has ever asked him for permission before and all of the sudden he feels _old_. He's only fifteen years old, he doesn't have a say about _anything_ yet. Although, to Tails, fifteen must sound like a big deal. And it isn't like the fox has anyone else to ask or to look up to. No one else but a stranger. All of the sudden, Sonic feels a little responsibility creep up on him.

"Wait a minute, you don't have to go. I can grab them for you too, you know," the hedgehog reasons. "Tell me where they are and I'll be back in a Sonic Second."

Tails scrounges his snout up a little before shaking his head. "I don't think I can tell you exactly where to go. I hid them in a hollow tree. I can find them easily but it's kind of hard to explain which tree it is. I can be really fast too though, I promise!"

Sonic suspects that the real reason Tails doesn't want him to go is because of trusting issues. From what he has gathered on his new friend so far, Sonic understands the boy loves his technology and tinkering. Because of that, his tools must be worth the world to the little fox and thus it's likely he's a little protective of them.

But despite him understanding where the fox is coming from, the blue hedgehog still feels a little frustrated. He wants Tails to trust him fully. Because if he wants the fox to take him up on the offer he has been thinking about all night, trust is a necessity; and that has to come from both ways.

For now though, Sonic will let the kid take the time he needs to clear his head a little. Yesterday was a busy day and he doesn't want to overwhelm the boy. However, how far is Sonic the Hedgehog able to stretch his patience when he is this excited?

The answer: until lunch.

True to his word, it didn't take Tails that long to get his tools. The fox worked on the plane the entire morning and now he is enjoying a rather late brunch with Sonic in their familiar spot underneath the bi-plane's wing.

"How's your food kid? You like it?" Sonic asks in between taking bites of his sandwich. He wanted to get chilidogs again, but figured that if he wants to get Tails back to a healthy weight, he should start with giving him something more nutritious. Or at least feed him something that won't result in him puking his guts out. So a simple ham and cheese sandwich will have to do for now.

Tails doesn't really seem to mind about the food though, nodding contently as he digs into another sandwich. As long as he has something to eat, he's happy. The fox has told Sonic he used to live on berries, nuts and anything else he could find in the forest, since he didn't really dare to go back into town anymore. At least it explains why the kid looks so sickly and why his fur is falling out. Tails, after all is, and will always be, a fox. Even though the Mobians are highly advanced and share many human traits, their basic genetic make-up comes from their feral ancestors. For Sonic it would have been just fine to live on a vegetable-based diet for the rest of his life, had he not been addicted to chilidogs, but for Tails it's borderline deathly to live without eating meat every once in a while. His body needs it to function properly and to keep him healthy.

Sonic is determined to at least stick around the kid long enough for him to recuperate a little. Probably he'll need to take him off the island, but that's where the trust comes back into play. He hopes Tails will trust him enough to come to the mainland with him.

Once he gets him there, though, he isn't sure what else he should do with the fox. Maybe he can find the kid a nice family and otherwise he can at least get him a house of his own. Sure, Tails is only a child but he has proven he is able to take care of himself well enough. The kid should be able to make it through if he's housed in a more accepting environment; and Sonic is sure Station Square is way more accepting than the island. He just has to convince Tails to come with him, is all.

 _Yeah and make him leave the only home he's ever known_ , a treacherous voice speaks through Sonic's mind bitterly. _Face it, you don't want the best for the kid, you just want to take him along for your own benefit. You just want someone to talk to every once in a while._

Sonic knows it is the truth. Because of his itching feet and restless mind, he loves exploring the world, checking out new places and trying out new food. But he never stays somewhere long enough to actually meet people. Sure, they all know about him, but that doesn't mean he ever took the time to get to know about _them_. It doesn't mean the people that worship him as a hero are his friends. Only Station Square comes anywhere close to a home for Sonic, even though it's more of a fall-out base really. It would be great to have someone waiting there for him to talk to about his trips and adventures. Maybe to have someone to mess around with and to play games with. Someone to make Station square _feel_ like home.

But should he really push a scarred, little kid into that role? Especially since he won't stay with the fox all the time. Often, he is gone for months at the time, and won't stay in Station Square for longer than a couple of weeks.

It would be extremely selfish of Sonic to drag Tails along into his hectic and fast life-style, but on the other hand, he isn't sure what else to do. He can't leave the kid here on his own, he probably won't make it another winter the way he is now. Plus, it'll hurt Sonic probably more than he is willing to admit at the moment. He just can't leave Tails behind with the prospect of never seeing him again. He's grown attached to the little fox kid. The boy is _fun_ to hang around with, even though he's a little geeky sometimes.

"Hey, Sonic?"

Tails' voice brings him out of his stupor and he quickly shakes his head. It isn't unusual to find the hedgehog staring into the distance, caught in his train of thoughts, but normally people don't catch him off guard when he does.

"Uh, yeah, what is it Tails?"

The fox cub giggles a little, his tails wagging happily behind him. It's a good sign. Normally the kid tries to hide his twin appendages by holding them close together and keeping them still behind his back.

"What were you thinking about? I've been talking to you for maybe five minutes and you weren't even listening to me."

The bright blue eyes and the giddy smile on the boy's face show that there is no harm done.

"Oh nothing important really," the hedgehog answers. "Just wondering, you know."

"About what?" the curious fox encounters easily enough.

"Just uh… where did you get all these? Some look rather neat." Sonic indicates the tools strewn around them with his left hand.

The fox frowns for a second or two before quickly saying: "I didn't steal them."

Tails probably knows no one was accusing him of stealing in the first place, but the fox is still slightly nervous when he gets into a situation where blame can be placed. Sonic guesses it is because he has been in circumstances in which he has been unjustly accused and maybe even punished after.

"I found most of them," Tails continues speaking, oblivious to Sonic's grim thoughts. "Some I got from the teacher when I still went to school. Like this one, she gave it to me at the end of the school year for my birthday. I mean, when you take an entire school year, one of those days should be my birthday right? Unless mine is in the summer, but the possibility of it being during a school year is higher."

Sonic nods absentmindedly, his fingers gliding over the bright red screw driver Tails apparently received for his so-called 'birthday'. It isn't fair. It looks like this small tool is the only birthday present the fox ever received. A birthday should be something important to a child; it's supposed to be the happiest day of the year to them. But Tails doesn't even know when his is. That's just not right.

Sonic makes up his mind.

"You know what Tails, I'm going to give you a birthday present as well."

"Huh?" The yellow-furred head cants slightly to the right in confusion. "You don't have to give me anything. In fact, I should thank _you_! I've never had such a good friend as you. I'll be sad when you leave."

"That's the thing though," Sonic tells his new best friend, who only seems to be more confused. "Look, you don't have anything here, no home, no family or good friends, right?"

Tails folds his ears back slightly and nods, not sure what the hedgehog wants from him.

"Well, I have a lot out there: freedom, a home to stay, enough rings to buy stuff like food. But just like you, I don't have any family or friends. Plus, I suck at flying and will probably crash this rustbucket the moment I'm higher than five feet above the ground."

Sonic chuckles slightly at his own joke as he pets his airplane affectionately. He looks at Tails, who still stares at him in wonder. Sonic has never seen such an admiration on someone's face before.

"What I mean is, why don't you come with me to the mainland? We can have loads of fun there, I bet. I can show you some awesome places and maybe I can even teach you how to fly the plane."

Sonic smiles at the cub, expecting excitement and joy to wash over the yellow fox at both the prospect of getting away from the island _and_ learning how to fly the bi-plane. But nothing like that happens.

The mood changes abruptly. The admiration all but vanishes from the cub's face, only leaving doubt and despair. His smile turns into a deep frown. Ears fold back and tails fall down to the ground. Baby blue eyes are hooded and Sonic is afraid the kid is going to cry.

"I don't think that's a good idea," the fox mumbles, turning his head away from Sonic's wide-eyed gaze.

 _Stupid_ , Sonic thinks. _You should have brought this up more carefully. Now he feels guilty._

"Hey, no reason to feel all down, buddy," Sonic tries. "You don't have to come with me. It was just an offer. You can stay here if you want to and I'll just visit you from time to-"

"It's not that," Tails interrupts him quickly. Some of the moisture that had been gathering in the corners of his eyes jumps of his fur when the fox sharply turns his head. "I want to get out of here, really. I just… I don't want to go to other people. I know how to stay away from the Mobians living here. I know what to do to keep them from being annoyed and I know where to hide where they won't find me. If I go somewhere else with you, they'll hurt me again because I won't know how to avoid them."

And all of the sudden, Sonic feels like he is ten kinds of idiot. _Of course_ the kid is scared of what others will think of him. How many times has Sonic been worrying about the exact same thing when he left the orphanage for good? Sonic should have known it would take more than just one blue hedgehog to teach Tails that there are people in this world who actually don't care about his looks.

"Well, you don't need to worry about that, pall. There is a lot of good folk out there and I'm sure that once they get to know you, they'll like you. I mean, you got me to like you in less than a day, that's gotta count as something right?"

Tails doesn't really react to the words save for biting his lip and swallowing thickly. He looks like he's scared out of his mind.

Sonic sighs. This isn't working. If he wants to convince Tails that everything is going to be okay in the end, he first needs to earn the fox's trust himself.

"Alright Tails, what about this. I get it if you don't want to go to a town immediately, so we won't yet. What if we just take the bi-plane and fly around for a little while. Check out some places and get to know each other a little better. After that we can always go back to my place at Station Square and work on your social skills from there. How's that sound, huh?"

Tails shrugs but seems a little more relaxed at the same time.

"You sure you want to do all that for me? Don't you want to go home?"

Sonic places a hand on the fox's shoulder, forcing eye-contact from the kid with a steady gaze.

"Of course I want to go home," he says. "I've been out and about for quite some time and flying for another couple of weeks while I can hardly keep a plane up in the air quite frankly _terrifies_ me. Did I mention I can't swim? And seriously, there's a lot of water to crash-land in on this planet."

This earns him a couple of giggles from Tails. Sonic smiles back encouragingly.

"But I'm not going to leave you here, kid. I won't be able to forgive myself if I do."

And before he can even think about it, Sonic makes the fox a promise he never thought he would be able to keep. But he wouldn't be Sonic the Hedgehog if he didn't keep it despite himself.

"I'll stay with you, okay? I'm not going to abandon you Tails, no matter what. If you need me, I'll be there for you."

Sweet baby blue eyes look up to the hedgehog hopefully. They shine a little brighter than they should, but are full of gratitude nevertheless. And Sonic knows he'll keep his promise. Even though he sees a lot of his former freedom escape him right then and there, he hardly thinks he's going to miss it. Not if he gets to have Tails by his side in exchange.

"Really?" the cub asks, his voice squeaking a little at the end. Sonic smiles.

"That's what heroes do."

Then he corrects himself.

"That's what friends are for."

Tails slowly nods, taking in everything Sonic has told him and slowly tries to process it. He's not being hurt or yelled at, even though he's being an ungrateful brat for not taking up on Sonic's offer immediately. Instead, Sonic is being kind to him, trying to make him feel comfortable. He didn't leave on his own when Tails doubted his plan, he tried to convince him to come along anyway. It's like Sonic really wants him to come along. Things are well. Nothing is wrong. And Tails has the gut-feeling that if he stays close to the blue hedgehog, things will stay that way.

Tentatively he raises his head to look at the older Mobian again.

"You sure?"

Sonic nods strongly. "Never been so sure in my entire life."

And to his surprise, Sonic means it. Yes, he will stay with Tails for as long as the kid needs it. Heck, it'll be one of his biggest adventures yet! And maybe things will get rough once Robotnik starts attacking again, but they'll get through. Sonic will make sure of it. Because now he has a friend by his side. Maybe even an ally.

Standing up, Sonic reaches down to help Tails up as well. The fox accepts the proffered hand, but once he is standing, he doesn't let go. Naked yellow claws tighten around gloved fingers and even though the yellow-furred arm is still trembling from the strain of having to pull the fox's weight up, the grip is still strong.

"Promise?" Tails asks, shaking the hedgehog's hand.

Sonic laughs warmly, happily and works his way out of the fox's grip, stringing their pinkies together instead.

"Pinky Promise."

 **So that was it. Thanks for the two reviews I got, I totally loved them! And thank you for everyone who favourited and followed this little story. You guys made me really happy.**

 **I've been thinking of a couple of one-shots to write and I think they'll be up soon. Maybe I'll even write some sort of sequel to this, although I'm not really sure yet.**

 **For now, see ya! -Jay**


End file.
